The present invention relates to tub filler spouts suitable to control whether flow goes out the spout to fill a tub or alternatively is diverted to a shower outlet. More particularly it relates to compact diverter spouts that have manufacturing, aesthetic and operational advantages.
Conventional bathrooms typically have a filler spout that supplies water to a bathtub. In most of these installations a mixer control is positioned remote from the filler spout, usually on a wall. In some cases a diverter is directly mounted to the mixer control to select whether water is to flow to the tub or to the shower. In other cases the diverter is mounted on the filler spout itself. The present application relates to the second form of diverter.
With respect to this latter type of diverter, the diverter control can be placed adjacent the outlet of the spout. This has some cost advantages as the diverter would then not interfere with the connection between the spout and the room plumbing, and the outlet would be available to facilitate the assembly. However, there are some aesthetic concerns with respect to this location. Further, this location makes it more likely that something or someone will accidentally catch on the knob which controls the diverter.
Placing the diverter closer to the inlet may avoid or reduce these concerns. However, there are problems with respect to this approach as well.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,387,816 there was disclosed a diverter valve mounted near the inlet end of a tub filler spout. A lift knob was provided on the spout which connected to a shaft that passed through a small hole in the top rear of the spout. The other parts of the diverter were attached through the rear entry of the spout.
The valve included a sealing ring which, when moved vertically into alignment with an inlet conduit, sealed along a vertical surface. A problem with this design was that the water pressure was consistently acting against the seal (not assisting it), which placed greater demands on the seal, and which caused seal leakage (and thus lower shower flow and wasted tub water). This could also cause the diverter to accidentally drop down out of the diversion position from time to time when variable flow conditions were experienced (e.g. someone flushed a toilet which caused a pressure drop in the inlet line).
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,925,662 there was disclosed the idea of using a spring to facilitate movement of a tub diverter. However, water pressure was still acting laterally against a rubber ring which provided the sealing.
Other examples of prior art tub spouts where the diverter was mounted on the spout itself are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,656,503, 6,070,280 and 6,449,784.
In unrelated work the art developed a variety of other valves which relied on ball-like structures to facilitate closure. See e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,145,252, 3,709,254, 5,109,887 and 5,226,453.
In any event, it is desired to develop further improved diverter spouts.